Park upkeep in south Boise subdivision upsets some residents

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BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - Some neighbors in a south Boise subdivision say their common areas are being neglected.

The 200 homes in the Devonshire subdivision have access to a pool, a playground and an open field.

Brown grass is one of the things that bothers Stu Donerkiel, a homeowner who pays about $280 a year to a homeowners association.

Donerkiel says the company managing Devonshire also isn't keeping it clean.

"A park should be clean and safe, a place where kids can go and have fun," he said, "Here, you don't even want to let your kids play on the ground or roll in the grass or anything because it's so dirty, hasn't been taken care of."

Mike Madson with MGM Association Management says the park isn't dirty and landscapers do snag trash on a regular basis.

"They'll pick up a certain size," Madson said. "They're not going to pick up cigarette butts, but they do a weekly pick-up of trash off of the common areas they're addressing."

Still, Donerkiel says mulch for the playground is badly needed.

"You know, the ground cover is here, which is a danger for kids when they're running around, playing tag. They come in here, they get their foot caught on it, they trip, they can hit their head on things."

MGM says it's ordered new mulch and is just waiting for the delivery. As for the grass, managers say this subdivision is just going through the same water shortage as most others right now.

"We're dealing with mother nature," Madson said. "If we could get more water on there, we would."